Look up at the rooftops of the Forbidden City and you will find a parade of small mythical beasts marching along the eaves — dragons, phoenixes and horned guardians placed there to ward off fire and misfortune. This summer, those creatures get a glow-up. Myth into Art, the Hong Kong Palace Museum (香港故宮文化博物館)'s newest digital exhibition, sets them loose across projection-lit galleries in West Kowloon, and it costs no more than the museum's standard ticket to walk in.
In This Guide
What is Myth into Art at the Hong Kong Palace Museum?
This is the Palace Museum doing the thing it has quietly become very good at: handing China's imperial heritage to local artists and letting them run it through a screen. Myth into Art is the museum's third thematic exhibition built around new work by Hong Kong artists and creative practitioners using digital tools. It takes over Gallery 7, the museum's digital and multimedia space, which until recently housed the immersive crowd-pleaser The Ways in Patterns.
The brief, in the museum's words, was to draw inspiration from "the magnificent architecture of the Forbidden City and its captivating mythical animals and their stories." The result is a set of multimedia installations that explore the relationship between today's society and its cultural heritage — and the tension between nature and technology — rather than a row of antiques behind glass.
It is organised by the Hong Kong Palace Museum, and crucially it sits within the standard admission ticket rather than the pricey special-exhibition bracket — good news for anyone who has been eyeing the museum's blockbusters and balking at the cost.
What to expect inside
If you have done a "teamLab-style" immersive room before, you will recognise the language — darkened spaces, large-scale projection, animation that responds to movement — but here it is rooted in Chinese mythology rather than abstract petals. The fantastic animals of Chinese tradition are a rich seam to mine: the dragon, the phoenix (fenghuang), the qilin and the lions and sea-creatures that guard imperial roofs and gateways.
Expect those motifs reinterpreted as moving, luminous works. The museum frames the show as a dialogue between heritage and the contemporary city, so the creatures are less museum specimens and more living characters — a way of asking what these centuries-old symbols mean to a fast-changing Hong Kong. It is a format that reads as well to a curious eight-year-old as it does to a design student.
One honest caveat: the museum has said the show's content and run dates are subject to change, so treat it as an experience to wander rather than a fixed checklist of masterpieces — and check the latest before making a special trip.
Why it's worth a detour this summer
West Kowloon is having a loud cultural year, and the Palace Museum is at the centre of it. Myth into Art lands while the museum is also hosting the blockbuster Ancient Egypt Unveiled exhibition (on until 31 August) and a major Met jewellery show, so one trip can cover several very different worlds under one roof.
Step outside and the riches continue. M+ is a short walk away across the district — our guides to the Ryuichi Sakamoto show at M+ and the season's best art exhibitions in Hong Kong map out the rest of it. For a digital, air-conditioned show, Myth into Art is also a genuinely good answer to a sticky, typhoon-season afternoon.
Families, take note: a projection-filled gallery is an easy sell to children, and it slots neatly into a wider day out. If you are building one, our round-up of summer fun in Hong Kong and the bumper things to do in Hong Kong list have plenty to bolt on around it.
Dates, tickets & opening hours
Myth into Art is a thematic gallery rather than a separately ticketed special exhibition, which keeps things simple and cheap. The full details are on the official Palace Museum exhibitions page, but here are the verified essentials.
| Ticket type | Adult | Concession |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Admission (Galleries 1–7, incl. Myth into Art) | HK$70 | HK$35 |
| Special Exhibition Ticket (adds Gallery 8/9 blockbusters) | Separate ticket — see official site | |
| Children aged 6 and under | Free | |
The standard admission ticket covers all of the museum's thematic galleries (1 to 7), and Gallery 7 is where Myth into Art lives — so this is the only ticket you need for it. You would only step up to a special-exhibition or full-access ticket if you also wanted Galleries 8 and 9, currently home to the Met's global jewellery show and Ancient Egypt Unveiled. Concessions (HK$35) cover children aged 7 to 11, full-time students, seniors aged 60 and above, people with disabilities and a companion, and CSSA recipients.
Hong Kong Palace Museum — Visitor Essentials
Note: the ground-floor ticket office closes one hour before the museum. Confirm current prices and hours via the official Palace Museum tickets page before you travel.
How do you get to the Hong Kong Palace Museum?
The museum sits at the western tip of the West Kowloon Cultural District, and the train is comfortably the easiest way in. Take the MTR to Kowloon Station (Tung Chung Line or Airport Express) and leave via Exit C1 or D1, then follow the signs through the ELEMENTS mall and across the Artist Square Bridge — about 10 to 15 minutes on foot. Alternatively, Austin Station (Tuen Ma Line) Exit B4 or B5 brings you in via ELEMENTS in roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
Prefer not to walk far? From Austin Station Exit D2 you can hop on the wheelchair-accessible Cultural Express (CX1) shuttle, and there is paid parking on site at 8 Museum Drive. Once you arrive, the whole district rewards lingering — the Art Park, the harbourfront promenade and M+ are all a short stroll away, which is why so many visitors build a half-day around it.
How to do it well
Myth into Art is an easy, low-stress visit, but a few notes will sharpen it up.
Visiting Tips
- Buy the standard ticket. Gallery 7 is included in standard admission, so there is no need to pay for a special-exhibition ticket unless you also want Ancient Egypt or the jewellery show.
- Go on a weekday morning. The museum opens at 10am and the first hour is the calmest; Friday and Saturday run late until 8pm if you prefer an evening visit.
- Pair it with the thematic galleries. Your ticket also covers Galleries 1 to 6 and their Forbidden City treasures, so make a couple of hours of it.
- Bring the kids. Projection galleries are a reliable hit with children, and under-sixes go free.
- Beat the heat. It is dark, cool and indoors — an ideal hot-afternoon or rainy-day stop in a West Kowloon day out.
- Check before a storm. The museum closes under a black rainstorm or Typhoon Signal No. 8, so watch the forecast in summer.
Before You Go
Myth into Art opened under a working title, and the museum has noted that the show's content and dates are subject to change. Buy tickets through the official Palace Museum website or its appointed partner rather than unofficial resellers, and double-check the opening hours and price for the day you plan to go — the museum is closed on Tuesdays except public holidays.
Planning a bigger cultural itinerary? Our overview of the biggest events in Hong Kong this summer sets the show against the rest of the season, from festivals to gigs.
Frequently Asked Questions
See It This Summer
Myth into Art runs until the end of the year, but West Kowloon is at its busiest now. Plan your visit to the Hong Kong Palace Museum, then let YumChaNow keep you ahead of the next big show in town.